Archive: Arts & Entertainment

The Wells College Theater and Dance Department is pleased to present the annual faculty dance concert, titled “The Paths We Take.” This concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, in Phipps Auditorium of Macmillan Hall on the Wells College campus. The eclectic production features choreography in a range of styles from Wells College faculty members Jeanne Goddard and Elizabeth Wilmot-Bishop, performed by students of the Wells College Dance Ensemble. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

“The Paths We Take” offers audiences a captivating collection of dances ranging in style from comedy to drama to abstraction and features music as diverse as African-American spirituals, the lush orchestral sounds of Ernesto Lecuona, the songs of Josh Groban and the minimalism of Philip Glass.

“Formal Dining,” choreographed by Professor of Dance Jeanne Goddard, is a whimsical look at a dinner party gone drastically wrong. Keeping six party guests in line can be a lot harder than it looks; somehow they find themselves swimming in the soup and diving through the pasta in this comic nightmare that will leave your mouth watering for the next course. In contrast, the dreamy mood of “Requardos” recalls past encounters through the sensuous quality of Latin dance. In her abstract piece “Across and Down,” Goddard brings crossword puzzles to life, creating a world where complex linear patterns are disrupted by chaotic forces. This piece combines choreographed phrases with improvisations from the dancers, illustrating that there can be more than one way to find the answers you are looking for.

The pieces choreographed by Guest Artist in Dance Elizabeth Wilmot-Bishop embody the theme of breaking free of set paths and fighting for what you believe. “You'll See,” performed by senior soloist Dominique Britten, reminds us that despite life's challenges one can achieve anything she sets her mind to through hard work and determination. “Mi Mancheri” tells the story of two young lovers who, despite their devotion to one another, must part and take separate paths. “Journey to Freedom,” accompanied by African-American spirituals, is dedicated to those brave individuals who fought for the freedom of slaves, including local hero Harriet Tubman.

Other pieces in the program include a contemporary ballet by Wilmot-Bishop and a recent solo choreographed and performed by Goddard.

In discussing this concert, both Goddard and Wilmot-Bishop affirm their dedication to choreography and dance as their life’s work. “The ‘product’ I develop for the stage evolves out of decades of training, research, experimentation, risk-taking, problem-solving, collaboration, independent thinking and dogged determination,” says Goddard. Wilmot-Bishop remembers her time teaching dance at The Booker T. Washington Community Center in Auburn, N.Y., where she learned from her young students the importance of dancing with your full heart and soul. She brings this inspiration to her choreography, her teaching and this concert.

“The Paths We Take” is brought to life through the Wells College Dance Ensemble, consisting of both seasoned dancers and new faces. The cast includes Ariel Adams ’16, Kim Bader ’16, Shaday Baker ’13, Erika Bareiss ’13, Anastasia Benson ’15, Melissa Brewer ’16, Dominique Britten ’13, Angelee Camacho ’14, Nina Daniels ’16, Gloria Franco ’16, Tina Green ’16, James Howard ’13, Natasha Kirkland ’15, Amy Koch ’16, Katie Lamanna ’16, Anissa Laval-Kiyemba ’15, Mary Losurdo ’14, Ryanne Sims ’14, and Justine Tibbits ’16. Lighting design is coordinated by Technical Director/Facilities Manager and Lecturer in Performing Arts Joseph DeForest.

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